Crime and Corruption Commission v Carne

The High Court of Australia heard an appeal from the Queensland Court of Appeal in *Crime and Corruption Commission v Carne*. The dispute concerned the interpretation and application of provisions within the *Crime and Corruption Commission Act 2001* (Qld) and the *Public Interest Disclosure Act 2010* (Qld) in relation to the disclosure of information by a public official.

The central legal issue before the High Court was whether the Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) was entitled to access information that had been disclosed under the *Public Interest Disclosure Act 2010* (Qld) by a public official, despite the protections afforded by that Act to such disclosures. Specifically, the Court had to determine the scope of the CCC's investigative powers and whether they could override the confidentiality and immunity provisions of the *Public Interest Disclosure Act 2010* (Qld).

The High Court considered the interplay between the investigative powers of the CCC and the protections afforded to public interest disclosures. It analysed the legislative intent behind both Acts, noting that the *Public Interest Disclosure Act 2010* (Qld) was designed to encourage the reporting of wrongdoing by public officials by providing them with protections. The Court concluded that the *Crime and Corruption Commission Act 2001* (Qld) did not grant the CCC an unfettered right to access information disclosed under the *Public Interest Disclosure Act 2010* (Qld) and that the protections under the latter Act were intended to apply. The Court emphasised that the specific provisions of the *Public Interest Disclosure Act 2010* (Qld) limited the circumstances in which such information could be accessed or used by other bodies, including the CCC, unless specific exceptions were met.